Micronix - MX-15 X-Ray Lithography System

Started by Sam Harrell and Aubrey C. Tobey in the early eighties, Micronix was planned to be the first lithography system company to be dedicated exclusively to producing X-Ray Systems. But it was not to be, for the X-Ray lithography business was no more ready for prime time than it is today. Still, they produced a mighty fine system, concentrating first upon getting decent life out of the X-Ray tube. That they did, and for several years sold their tubes to Pfizer Corporation for soft-X-Ray medical systems. It held the company together, but producing viable lithography systems for the integrated circuit industry proved elusive.

A few systems were shipped to Japan and a few more to U.S. customers, but lack of money eventually did them in.